Relevancy and reasons for excluding relevant evidence - Habi...

Learning Outcomes

This article explains habit and routine practice evidence in an MBE-focused way, showing how to recognize, distinguish, and apply these rules on exam-style fact patterns. It clarifies the definition of habit and routine practice under FRE 406 and contrasts them with inadmissible character propensity evidence, so you can quickly label each piece of conduct evidence on the bar exam. It explains how specific, regular, and semi-automatic conduct by individuals or organizations can be used to prove behavior on a particular occasion, and how such proof may be established through testimony, specific instances, or records. It details when otherwise relevant habit evidence must still be excluded under FRE 403 because of unfair prejudice, confusion, or cumulative presentation, especially where parties try to disguise character evidence as habit. It also highlights common MBE traps, including vague “usually” or “often” statements, patterns of criminal acts offered under Rule 404(b), and policies that are not consistently followed, training you to select the best answer choice under time pressure.

MBE Syllabus

For the MBE, you are required to understand the rules governing habit and routine practice evidence and how they interact with the general relevancy and character-evidence provisions, with a focus on the following syllabus points:

• Distinguishing habit and routine practice evidence from character evidence.
• Knowing when habit or routine practice evidence is admissible to prove conduct.
• Recognizing the reasons for excluding relevant evidence, including unfair prejudice, confusion, or waste of time.
• Applying the correct exclusionary rules to habit and routine practice evidence under the Federal Rules of Evidence.
• Understanding the relationship between FRE 406 (habit) and FRE 403 (balancing test).

Test Your Knowledge

Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision.

1. Which of the following is most likely to be admissible as habit evidence?
   1. Testimony that a driver is a careful person.
   2. Testimony that a driver always fastens her seatbelt before starting her car.
   3. Testimony that a driver was not at fault in a previous accident.
   4. Testimony that the driver’s friends consider her reckless.
2. Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, evidence of a business’s routine practice is:
   1. Never admissible.
   2. Admissible only if corroborated by eyewitnesses.
   3. Admissible to show that the business acted in accordance with that practice on a particular occasion.
   4. Admissible only if the business is a party to the case.
3. Evidence of a person’s habit may be excluded if:
   1. It is relevant but cumulative.
   2. It is relevant but unfairly prejudicial.
   3. It is relevant but confuses the issues.
   4. All of the above.

Introduction

Evidence law distinguishes between habit and character. Habit and routine practice evidence is often highly probative in showing how a person or organization likely acted on a specific occasion. However, because habit resembles character, the MBE frequently tests whether you can:

• Spot true habit or routine practice,
• Keep it separate from inadmissible character propensity evidence, and
• Apply Rule 403 to decide whether otherwise admissible habit evidence should still be excluded.

Habit vs. Character Evidence

Habit evidence refers to a person’s regular response to a specific, repeated situation, while character evidence describes a person’s general disposition or propensity.

The Federal Rules of Evidence treat these differently:

• Character evidence is usually inadmissible to prove that a person acted “in accordance with” that character on a particular occasion (the propensity bar).
• Habit evidence is admissible for that purpose under Rule 406.

Key Term: Habit
A regular, specific, and semi-automatic response to a particular situation, admissible to show conduct in conformity with the habit on a specific occasion.

Key Term: Routine Practice
A regular method or procedure followed by an organization, admissible to show that the organization acted in accordance with that practice on a particular occasion.

Key Term: Character Evidence
Evidence describing a person’s general traits (e.g., honesty, carefulness, violence), usually offered to show conduct in conformity with those traits; generally inadmissible to prove conduct on a specific occasion.

On the MBE, a useful diagnostic question is:

• Does the evidence describe a specific, repeated response to a narrowly defined situation (habit),
  or
• A general tendency or trait (character)?

Only the former is admissible under Rule 406 to show conduct in conformity.

How to Recognize Habit on the MBE

Think in terms of three features: specificity, regularity, and automaticity.

Habit evidence typically:

• Describes a narrow situation (e.g., approaching a particular intersection, logging into a system, filling out a form).
• Shows invariable or nearly invariable behavior (e.g., “always,” “every time,” “without fail”).
• Reflects an unthinking or semi-automatic response, not a discretionary judgment.

Contrast that with character evidence:

• Broad traits: “careful driver,” “honest employee,” “violent person.”
• General reputation or opinion from others about the person.
• Prior acts offered simply to show that the person tends to behave that way.

On the MBE, statements using words like “always,” “without fail,” or “every single morning” in a fixed context are strong indicators of habit.

When Habit and Routine Practice Evidence Is Admissible

Under Federal Rule of Evidence 406, evidence of a person’s habit or an organization’s routine practice is admissible to prove that, on a particular occasion, the person or organization acted in accordance with the habit or routine practice.

Key points:

• The proponent does not need eyewitnesses to the event in dispute.
• The proponent does not need corroboration from other evidence.
• The habit can be proved by:
  • Testimony describing the person’s or organization’s regular practice, or
  • Evidence of numerous specific instances that establish a pattern.

Evidence may relate to:

• Individuals: e.g., how a nurse administers medication, how a mechanic documents inspections.
• Organizations: e.g., how a business logs cash receipts, how a hospital checks patient IDs.

Examples of Habit Evidence

• “Every morning, the nurse checks the patient’s ID bracelet before administering medication.”
• “The driver always signals before turning left at this intersection.”
• “The bank automatically requires two signatures for any wire transfer above $10,000.”

What Is Not Habit Evidence

General statements about a person’s character, such as “he is a careful driver,” are not habit. Prior acts or general reputation are also not habit.

Other non-habit examples:

• “The defendant has never received a speeding ticket.” (Just one prior act; no pattern.)
• “The contractor usually finishes jobs on time.” (Too vague and general.)
• “The defendant was acquitted of fraud last year.” (A prior case outcome, not a routine response.)

Proving Habit and Routine Practice

Rule 406 is flexible about how habit is proved. On the MBE, any of the following may suffice:

• A witness testifying from personal knowledge:
  “I have worked with Dana for five years; every time we drive together, she buckles her seatbelt before turning on the car.”

• Evidence of numerous similar instances:
  “The company’s records show that for the past three years, every outgoing shipment was logged into the system before release.”

• Policy plus consistent implementation:
  A written policy by itself is not habit, but if paired with testimony that the policy is always followed, it can support a finding of routine practice.

The judge decides under Rule 104(a) whether there is enough evidence to allow the jury to treat the behavior as habit. The jury then decides what weight to give it.

Habit vs. MIMIC “Other Acts” Evidence

Habit is one of many ways to use prior conduct. Do not confuse it with “MIMIC” evidence under Rule 404(b) (motive, intent, absence of mistake, identity, common plan or scheme).

• Habit (406): prior conduct offered to show conduct in conformity on a particular occasion, but only where the conduct is automatic and specific.
• MIMIC (404(b)): prior acts offered for a non-propensity purpose (e.g., to show motive or identity), even if the acts do not rise to the level of habit.

Example distinction:

• “Every evening at 9 p.m., the pharmacist cross-checks prescriptions against the computer records.” → habit.
• “Defendant committed three similar robberies with a distinctive method.” → likely 404(b) identity evidence, not habit, because it is a pattern of crimes, not a neutral routine response.

Reasons for Excluding Relevant Habit Evidence

Even if habit or routine practice evidence is relevant and fits Rule 406, it may still be excluded under Rule 403.

Key Term: Unfair Prejudice
The risk that evidence will lead the jury to decide the case on an improper basis, such as emotion or bias, rather than on the facts.

Rule 403 allows the court to exclude relevant evidence if its probative value is substantially outweighed by dangers such as:

• Unfair prejudice,
• Confusion of the issues,
• Misleading the jury,
• Undue delay,
• Waste of time,
• Needless presentation of cumulative evidence.

Applied to habit:

• Cumulative: After several witnesses testify that the nurse always checks ID bracelets, additional similar testimony may be excluded as cumulative.
• Confusing or misleading: If the supposed “habit” is actually inconsistent or poorly documented, introducing it may distract the jury and confuse the issues.
• Prejudicial character overlay: Sometimes a proponent tries to label inflammatory prior bad acts as “habit.” A court may exclude such evidence if the emotional impact outweighs probative value.

Because habit is usually neutral and not emotionally charged, Rule 403 exclusion is most common where the “habit” label is being misused to sneak in character evidence.

Worked Example 1.1

A delivery company is sued for failing to obtain signatures when delivering packages. The company offers evidence that its drivers always obtain a signature before leaving a package. Is this evidence admissible?

Answer:
Yes. This is evidence of the company’s routine practice, admissible under Rule 406 to show that it likely obtained a signature on the occasion in question. Obtaining a signature is a specific, repeated procedure in a fixed situation—classic routine practice.

Worked Example 1.2

In a negligence case, the defendant offers testimony that he is a careful person. Is this admissible as habit evidence?

Answer:
No. This is character evidence, not habit. General statements about being careful or reckless describe broad traits, not specific, semi-automatic responses to a recurring situation. They are inadmissible to prove conduct on a specific occasion.

Worked Example 1.3

In a slip-and-fall case, the plaintiff claims she slipped on water in a grocery store. The store offers evidence that, every hour on the hour, a staff member walks each aisle with a checklist and mops any spills, and that this practice has been followed every day for five years. Is this admissible?

Answer:
Yes. The evidence describes the store’s routine practice: a fixed, repeated procedure performed at a set time in a particular way. It is admissible to show that the store likely conducted the inspection and mopping on the day in question, which bears on whether the store used reasonable care.

Worked Example 1.4

In a personal injury suit, the defendant wants to introduce evidence that the plaintiff “usually drinks heavily at parties” to suggest the plaintiff was drunk at the time of the accident. The plaintiff denies being drunk. Is the “usually drinks heavily at parties” evidence admissible as habit?

Answer:
No. This is not specific enough to qualify as habit. It describes a general tendency (drinking heavily at parties) but not an invariable, automatic response to a particular, narrowly defined situation. It is character evidence—essentially saying the plaintiff is a heavy drinker—and is not admissible to prove the plaintiff was drunk on this occasion.

Worked Example 1.5

A commuter is hit by a train at a crossing without gates. To prove the railroad was negligent for failing to sound the horn, the plaintiff offers testimony that “on at least 50 prior occasions, the engineer failed to sound the horn at that same crossing.” The railroad objects that this is improper character evidence. How should the court rule?

Answer:
The court should treat this as habit or routine practice evidence and likely admit it. The evidence concerns a specific crossing and a specific required action (sounding the horn). Fifty similar omissions at the same crossing suggest a regular practice of not sounding the horn—a routine response to a particular situation—admissible under Rule 406 to show that the horn was likely not sounded on the occasion in question.

Exam Warning

The MBE often tests your ability to distinguish between habit and character evidence. Do not confuse a person’s general reputation or prior acts with habit. Only specific, regular, and automatic responses to a particular situation qualify as habit.

Common traps:

• Isolated or rare prior acts being offered as “habit.”
• Vague frequencies (“often,” “sometimes,” “usually”) without evidence of near invariability.
• Prior crimes or wrongful acts offered as “habit” when they really fall under Rule 404(b).

Revision Tip

When analyzing an evidence question, ask:

• Is this evidence describing a specific, repeated response to a particular situation (habit), or
• Is it a general statement about personality or broad behavior patterns (character)?

Only the former is admissible to prove conduct under Rule 406, subject to Rule 403 balancing.

Key Point Checklist

This article has covered the following key knowledge points:

• Habit evidence is a regular, specific response to a particular situation, not a general trait.
• Routine practice evidence is admissible to show an organization acted in conformity with its usual procedure.
• Character evidence is generally inadmissible to prove conduct on a specific occasion.
• Under FRE 406, habit and routine practice can be proven by testimony or specific instances and do not require corroboration or eyewitnesses.
• Habit evidence must show specificity, regularity, and semi-automatic behavior; vague or occasional conduct is not enough.
• Habit and routine practice evidence remain subject to FRE 403 and may be excluded if their probative value is substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice, confusion, or waste of time.
• Habit is distinct from 404(b) “other acts” (MIMIC) evidence, which is offered for non-propensity purposes such as motive or identity.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Habit
• Routine Practice
• Character Evidence
• Unfair Prejudice